Ship data statistics needed

Discussions on naval-war movies, films and games.
User avatar
neil hilton
Senior Member
Posts: 339
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 2:31 pm

Ship data statistics needed

Post by neil hilton »

Currently Im in the process of writing a tabletop naval wargame using small lead models and tape measures etc for WW2 naval battles. However Ive run into a problem regarding ship data. I have data on all the relevant weapons and penetration at ranges (based in inches) but I cant find a reliable source of data on ships armour rating in inches, the statistics I need are belt armour, belt ends, deck armour and deck ends thicknesses in inches. I also need a reasonable deck plan showing firing arcs. This is for every destroyer, cruiser and capital ship class of all the major navies of WW2 so I can design a ship data sheet for every class.
Does anybody know of where I can obtain this information on the net without having to pay for it and in the same format (so it doesnt need converting) and can be used in an Office document?
Veni, vidi, verrimus!
I came, I saw, I swept the floor!
User avatar
marcelo_malara
Senior Member
Posts: 1845
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2005 11:14 pm
Location: buenos aires

Re: Ship data statistics needed

Post by marcelo_malara »

You need to buy Jane´s Warships of WWII. It is a reprint of the contemporary Janes´, it contains some mistakes due to the secrecy of the belligerants, but it has sketches with the armour and firing arcs of most warships of the period.

Regards
User avatar
neil hilton
Senior Member
Posts: 339
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 2:31 pm

Re: Ship data statistics needed

Post by neil hilton »

I already have a reprint of Janes WW2. Many ships entries armour thicknesses are noted as ...'reported to be equivalent of contemporary vessels of other navies...'
Veni, vidi, verrimus!
I came, I saw, I swept the floor!
User avatar
marcelo_malara
Senior Member
Posts: 1845
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2005 11:14 pm
Location: buenos aires

Re: Ship data statistics needed

Post by marcelo_malara »

Yes, some info may need to be obtained from other sources. I can not think of any single source that has all you want. Moreover, the armouring scheme is also important, a plate thickness figure will not do in some cases.
User avatar
neil hilton
Senior Member
Posts: 339
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 2:31 pm

Re: Ship data statistics needed

Post by neil hilton »

Yes, I was thinking of applying a simple multiplication factor to the armour thickness depending on the quality of the armour with respect to a standard, in this case Krupp Cemented Plate.
Veni, vidi, verrimus!
I came, I saw, I swept the floor!
User avatar
tommy303
Senior Member
Posts: 1528
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:19 pm
Location: Arizona
Contact:

Re: Ship data statistics needed

Post by tommy303 »

One of the problems is not so much thickness or even quality of the armour, but how it is arranged; for instance, Bismarck and Scharnhorst classes used an armoured scarp behind the main armour belt which was intended to break up a shell which might otherwise have penetrated the belt armour intact. Simply adding the thickness of the scarp to that of the main belt is insufficient and will probably not duplicate the degree of effectiveness.

Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood and Earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned these defended;
And saved the sum of things for pay.
Post Reply